The present invention pertains generally to a vehicle mounted safety device for preventing foot traffic immediately forward of a school bus in an area below the driver's field of vision.
A problem exists in that drivers of school buses have difficulty in seeing young children crossing closely in from of the bus. While children are instructed to cross several feet in front of the bus so as to be observed such instruction is not always observed. A young child immediately in front of the bus or a child who stoops to pick up a dropped article are below the driver's field of vision and such occurrences have resulted in serious injury and death.
The present invention is embodied within a driven barrier located at the front of a school bus for automatic deployment to extend several feet forward of the bus to require children to cross at a distance forward of the bus in an area readily visible to the driver.
The present invention includes an elongate arm or barrier which is normally stowed transversely at the bus front end and which is automatically swung to an operable position forward of the bus to provide a barrier immediately forward of the school bus. The arm is actuated by a drive mechanism and may yield upon contact with a person or obstruction. Inadvertent contact with the arm results in the arm yielding momentarily and subsequently returning to the desired, deployed position projecting forwardly from the bus.
Important objectives of the present invention include the provision of a positionable barrier for installation on a vehicle to prevent people alighting from the vehicle from crossing immediately in front of the vehicle; the provision of a safety barrier for installation on a school bus with but little or no modification of the latter; the provision of a safety barrier including a reversible electric motor and switch means compatible with existing circuitry of the vehicle to facilitate both convenient installation and use of the present device; the provision of a safety barrier for a vehicle having an arm component positioned by drive means with spring components to prevent injury or damage upon accidental contact of the arm with a person or object and to return the arm or barrier to a deployed position.